Active Living in Sackville and the Tantramar Region

This is trailwork season. If you are interested in spending time in the woods sawing and hacking and admiring fall beauty when no one is looking, let Ross Thomas know and he will add you to the trails list. If you were on the list last year, you are already on it for this year.

We have a few bridges to construct, some levelling to do, and hopefully finish off the board and batoning at the Sugar Brook Lodge.

1. Tantramar Outdoor Club pot luck. Saturday January 23. St Ann’s Church Hall , Westcock. Socialize with fellow skiers and snowshoers starting at 5:15; Pot luck supper to be served at 5:45 pm. Update from the executive following the dinner. We hope all will attend, including the families of the skiers enrolled in our Jack Rabbit program.

Many of us recognize each other from passing on the trails. How about taking a selfie or full picture of yourself in the outdoors, print it off, and put your first name on it, and pin it to yourself! Your outdoor club name tag!

2. Thanks to Pat Hayes for creating, and erecting, the handsome new trail wood engraved signs you will notice on the ski trails. I guess with the paucity of groomable snow he found another great way to help out. Many people think that La Rond is spelled incorrectly. Apparently, in French, you can say Le Rond, or La Ronde. Since this is an inclusive club, and mostly since this writer is somewhat(my kids would argue extemely) illiterate in the French language, the sign stays as is. Hope it doesn’t make you fall over.

3. The new cabin, likely to be known as “The Birches”, is now open for business.
The fire take lots of air and blowing to get going as the wood is a bit damp, and you shouldn’t shut the turny vent knobs on the doors all the way unless it is really hot.
We would ask that in the non snow season that dogs stay outside. As before, dogs are not permitted on trails when in use for skiing.
If you aren’t sure where it is, take a left at the green outhouse on the Yellow trail, halfway along the Birches.
Finally, Cy and I have each placed our favourite broom behind the door. Please let us know if you like my blue one, or Cy’s red one, the best.
See you in 2 weeks, Ross

The NB Trail Association is hoping to complete the New Brunswick section of the Trans Canada Trail by 2017. In our area, this would mean establishing a link for walkers and cyclists between Dorchester and Sackville.

Potluck Reminder at St Anne’s Church Hall, this Saturday the 17th January. Social starting at 4:45; dinner at 5:30 pm. St. Ann’s Church Hall, British Settlement.
Kate will gladly accept annual dues and hand out Membership Cards.

Cross Country NB Maritime cup races-17th January at Dieppe-Freestyle/ 18th January in Mirimichi-Classic Agegroups from 4 to really old. consult CCNB web site for details.

Woman’s ski weekend in Charlo 31st January and 1st February. Contact Barb Hurlbut barbntom@rogers.com for details. Several of our members have attended these fun and informative sessions in the past and really enjoyed the marvelous facilities in Charlo.

Susan Kastuk-Ridlington has put forms at the cabin and will have some at the potluck to try to find ways for folks who want to ski with company to get together. There is likely a simple way to do this via the TOC Facebook page and if anyone wants to enlighten me I will send out the details.

Cy and the chain saw boys have cut a lovely new 2 km loop trail which includes the new Coombs bypass(parallels Coombs Rd at the start of the Yellow). We will be doing a tour Saturday a.m., leaving from the Reservoir Gate around 0930. Look for tracks and orange flagging at the start and end of the Coombs Rd.
We are also looking for a name. So far we have Lost Lagoon Loop, Coombs Mountain Loop, and The Roundabout. If any of you poets want to suggest something equally flowery let me know.

Grooming. As you will have noted Pat packed the trails, with difficulty, last week but even with the dusting we had Monday there is not quite enough snow to set track. Our snow princesses have some sort of ritual planned for the potluck to bring on the Nor’ Easters.

is reconvening for our fall sceances in the woods likely starting in the next week or so. Let me know if you want to be included in future emails. This committee and it’s adherants will likely be charged with site preparation for a new cabin on the Yellow Trail, as well as it’s design and building which may commence this fall as well. So sign up with:

Thanks to everyone who lugged, hammered and otherwise helped out Saturday, Oct 2nd. Thanks especially to MacIssac Engineering and the Wood Point ATV Club you can see we got a little farther than planned. Will likely do a little more work this coming weekend (10-11 oct).

We plan to haul some building materials into the area of the second bridge on the Crooked Tree Trail this Saturday, the 3rd of October. We will start the first stage in the morning, likely around 10:00, at 26 Squire to load up and then drop off at the Access Road. Then after lunch, say around 1:00 p.m. we will start hauling it from there into the bridge area. If you have gadgets that would be useful in hauling heavy building materials through uneven woods trails bring them along.

If you available for either session let me know or just show up or give a shout Saturday.